Method of and apparatus for straightening weft-threads.



JOHN LOWE AND JOHN J. DYTH, 'or VALLEYFIELD, QUEBEC; CANADA.

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR STRAIGHTENING WEET-THREADS.

To all 'whomJ z't may concern: y

Ile it known 'that We, `Jol-IN LOWE .andi

JoLrN'J. LYTH, both subjects of the King of Great Britain, and residentsof the city of iValleyfield in the Proyince of Quebec and Dominion ofCanada, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Methods ofand l'-\.p1.)aratus for Straighteninglveft- Threads, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvenlents in method of and apparatus forstraightening the weft threads of woven fabrics, and the Object of theinvention is to provide means for bringing the two ends of each threadinto a line extending across the cloth at right angles to the selvages.

-lVhen the fabric leaves the loom, the Warp and weft threads are exactlyat right angles to one another and the effect is very leasing. After thecloth has been.. subjected to various processes and is about to berolled for shipment, it is :found that the handling of the'cloth hasdistorted and tvvisted the weft threads out of theiroriginal line; TheWarp threads are practically unaffected, as in themarious processes. thetension of the cloth is always in longitudinal direction.

[the weft threads, but,l cannotrestore. them "to, the proper angularrelation with the warp threads; so that in'thefinished cloth the wveft,threads lie "in 'a diagonal direction.

produciligx"unsatistactoryl and unsightly cloths'` Various methods andapparatus have been `tried out to"overcome this ditiiculty. butvWith-out `any great measure. of success.

It. isob'vioi'rsthat to produce the desiredfresult. onel'ed'geot theVcloth must be advanced more rapidlyffthan the other; and this-adyancementmust be purely local in order that properly disposed threadsin adjoin. ingfportions \of'tl1e fabric `shallV not be dis! `placed.

. Specification of vLetters Pate-nt.

Various machines have been, devised for straightening the Wett 'threadsCertain of these P atented Apr, 157.1917.

Application mea `mmh 21, i916. serial No. 85,6 so.

lVe have discovered that by passing the cloth -over -a series.V of rollsadjust'ably mounted so that. they be jfor'med rough y' vinto a c one orpyramid,the' edge of the vcloth at the base'ofthe pyramid will beadvanced more rapidly thanthattovvard the apex, orin ot'y 1erwords`,fthefedg'e ofthe cloth at thebase f the 'cone will be ad vancedmore rapidly than the center, and

the opposite edge of the. cloth willbe ada vanced lnoreslowly than thecenter. .By adjusting the angular relation of the roll-4 ers, therelative advance 'of the edgesof thel cloth may be iefzu lated to anicety to correct the displacement of the threads. This structure iscapable' of such adjustment that `the base,4 ofthe imaginary cone maybeshifted from side to side cf the machine as re uired.

In the drawings which-illustrate vt e in ventionz- 'Figure 1. isasideelevation of the device, partly broken away. i

Fig.V 2 is 'a front elevation. Fig. 3 is an isometric perspectiveyiew'of one of the'roll supporting'members,

Referring more particularly tothe draw ings. 11 designates a pair offrame members. which may conveniently be luprights securable between thefloor and ceiling of a room` Adjacent faces of these frame members areproylded \v1th gui( les 12 in which is mounted asuitably heayj slide 13extending across 'the machine' from frame to trame; This slide carries arol. 14h Foi-.convenience in manufactuieithe slide may be composed ofend castings 15 comected by a suitable web 1G. such as boiler 1f late.The slide `is of considerable weight, a 1d its bearingtsurfaces areextended to such :l degreethat-there isn'o possibility of it jamming-'or :binding in thel guides 12. In'thcy Vupperjmrt of`themaclii'ne..an 'arinl is;v mounted on each frame. and projects to 4frontandback of the ma chine.' Idler rolls lS'and 19 `aremounted betweenthese arris.\ The. active rolls, or Athose which are adjustedfto formtli'e imaginary Acone'j-neviousily referred to.. are designate-d20. 20aand 20 and in the drawing are shown'to be three in number..l It will be1understoodj that any suitable number of rolls may be used.4These,rolls'rare mounted in bearings 21 which vslide between guides 9.2havingzslots Q3 the rein. through -Whichtrunnions 24 of thebearingspass.

22 are" connected together bycentral cores 25 j The guides I rigidlyattached one on each frame member il. These cores. also form,.bearingsfor a suaft 26, which is threaded at each end, the threadspreferably-being'both of the/same direction and pitch. A nut 27 ismounted on each vthreaded portion of theshaft 26, and is connected by apair of links Q8 with the trunnions of eachroll bearing.y If desired, abar or rod 29 may be provided parallel with the shaft 26 havingslidableengagement with-the nuts, and arranged tov hold the same againstrevolution, thus relieving the links 28 of this function and of stressincidentY thereto, It will be readily understoodA that when the shaft isrotated, the nuts, being held against revolution, will be caused totravel longitudinally on the shaft. 'lille' Connection between the nutsand the roll bearings vtransmits this movement to the bea-rin s, so thatthe same shift in the guides towar or away from the shaft, according tothe. direction of shaft revolution. The threads being of the v,sainedirection, it is ob- Vioiis that the nuts will travel Iin the samedirection, that is, one toward and one aiijay from the.,en d off theshaft, so that the tog'- glesformed by the links will force. the rollbearings away from the shaft at one end and d-raw them toward the shaftat the opposite end. The result is that the rolls mounted between thebearings at opposite ends of the. machine are brought to the form of aninliaginary cone. If the direction of shaft rev-v olutionis reversed,the rolls are restored to parallel condition, and if the movement iscontinued, the rolls again assume the nconical arrangement, with i thediference that the base of the cone is at the opposite side of themachine. .A

In order that the .cloth maybe passed over the. greatest possiblesurface of ,the rolls 20, 20 and 20@ it has been' found .desirable toprovide idler-rolls 30 .and 30c between the stralghte;-ing'rollsQOand2Gb; 30 between 20 and 203,; `andia".between 2()a and 20h. These rollsfor the arrangement shown in the drawings are .ffourf in ,'nu-mbe'r, andmounted in each end in bearing plates 31, which may be secured betweenthe core block 25 and the frames 11'. In .order tokeep incoming clothout of contact w-iththe..straightening-rolls, an idlerroll 32maybep'iovided=,. The rolls 30 may-be fmountedso as:y to maintainparel:l lel relation with one another, biitidf/desired` they may bearranged in al manner similar tio the rolls 20. If the movementofthe=rolls l30 is in the. same-direction as their-plis the effectivenessof .the' -fmachinehis diminv ished, ywhileif the rolls 30 operate inthelop,-a

posite direction to :theirolls-Ql, the effective-A ness maybeiincr'ea'sed. It is, .howeven-pre-.f i

y.,o,r .outwe ird movement occurs, the length of ,path remains uniformAs the cloth must ferred 'atthistime Vlo .have the mounting of the rollsfrigiidyso that the-rolls maigitain,

parallel relation. AQhand wheel. 33 may be provided to operate the shaftheld against longitudinal. movement by collars 3l.- Tlie cloth passingthrough the ina- 2Q?, over the-idler 30", around the straight- .eninroll Q0", and over. the idler 30 toithe idler 19. It will be readilyYseen that there is a loop of cloth between rthe rolls 30 and in which'then-oil 1J; hangs or {ioatsl This roll 1l which is loaded by theweight of the slide 13 maintains proper tension in the cloth` andprovides a spi-ing in the cloth .which will compensate for any lack ofuniformity-` in the speed of cloth movement through the machine. Thearrangement of the idler rolls 30 with respect to the straighteniiigrolls 2O insures a large surface of contact between the cloth and thestraightening rolls, so that.' the positioning ,of these `straighteningrolls has the maximum eil'ect on-the cloth. The arrangement also retainsa considerable amount of cloth in the machine, so that` variations inthe speed of movement between the two edges are distributed through aconsiderable length of cloth, and do not affect the cloth in machines oneither side. In practice, the straightening machine is preferably placedbetween a washing or starching machine and a tentering machine, so thatthe cloth is in moist condition, and may:4 be much more readily operatedupon tlianif in dry condition. The operator tending the machine watchesthe cloth entering and leaving the machine. As the cloth is stretchedtight between the rolls 18 and'32, 4and between the rolls 30c and 19,the provision of a light between the two layers of .cloth will' rendersuch inspection veryeasy. YVhen the operator sees a portion of the clothcoming to the machine with the weft threads extending diagonally, thehand wheel 33 is turned so asv to dra-w the ends 0fthe rolls4 '20together atthe side of the ma-` chine where the advancedv ends oftheweft threads enter, and sin'iiiltaneoush1 force apart the endsofthe-rollsl at the opposite side of the machine where the lagging endsof the weft threads enter. This adjustment of the machine creates a loner path for that ledge of the cloth where l l 4e vweft threads aredragged back,and at the opposite side ofthe i'nachine, creates ashortened path for .the edge ofthe cloth, where the ends ofthe weftthreads are advanced. Midway .between ythe ends Ofthe rolls Awhere no.inward as a whole travel at the same s peed 'through the `machine, itfollows that the .portion having' the longer path must traizel athigher' y l ri A must travel at lowerspeed. f' Therefore, the

speed, while' that 'having the 4siiarzter edge the Acloth Where `theweft threads`` are perf 'n1 adjust the' imaehiaerrpm t e ends" of."eachtlireadi are ,siibstantiallji in a'fiiline driiiiin altri'ghtangles tothe `of the Jcloth.' The intermediate. portion-fof the ne"threads "1s of no 'consequence in 'this in-v VQIV tibn nor? isitclaimec'l' that "theVWeft t ea'ds aref completely' straightened; asthis 15.

" which: anll'sorstretches the yclothv in a transwrk is performed byanytentering machine',

VerseI ireiction. 'w1t freqnen't'ly happens that when `thjeth'reads'ofapiece of cflt'itharel badly disarranged,` application of thepresentin-'vention vdoes fiery little more than. bringthe two ends into properline. "I Fhisis;v howen'rer.r q iiite suficient as'the tenter-ingmachinefivill 'by its transverse stretchingr bringtl'ie threadsstraight.` If the adanced ends of thefweft.

threads'snbsequently occur on the opposite edgel of the cloth, therotation ofl the shaft' is reVer'seduntil .thestretching oone'isalsoreversed, that is, the 'small end'isexpanded and thelarge end iscontrfacted. I n thefadjustment ofthe machin-e, particularly when suddenandA considerable` changes are `-inade in, the angular relation4 of l,thefstretching rolls, jit'will happen that there is'wlfreq'uently .ajslight acceleration 'of the speed ofi 'travel' vof j the Whole cloththrough .the "machine,

Ordinarily, this would act as'ja' drag-on the machine behind and 'form aslack between the 4straightening machine and themachine Lnext inyline'.- Such 'a 'Icontingency is, however, completelyovercome by the:iise off the Heating roll .145 Wl'iiich merely rises .on stitchoecasio'nsand When the speed andi tension is againrestored toV normal,`falls to approxi-y mately its original!position.y

v Havingthus describedonr invention, what We claimis:

`1.y AImethod, of straightening the weft threads of cloth, whichconsists in accelerating the advance of one-edge ofthe cloth withrespect to an "intermediate"'portion and -retarding theadvance ofitheopposite' edge witlrrespect to an intermediate portion1 4and inmaintaining avariable` sizedsurplus of cloth .under uniform tension-, l

2. In a" device of `the character described,` a plurality of rolls,VandV mea-ns for simultal neously drawing togethery adjacente-nds ofsaid rolls and separating the opposite ad-v jacent ends of saidq'ollsthe 'angularlmovementof all rolls being equal'.

V3. In'a` fdevicel o fithecharacter described` a' plurality of rolls,`togglel 'I''neehsui'ifsr'insV connecting saidrolls at their ends, andine-ane for simultaneously operating "said ,toggle mechanisms to draw.the rollsftogether' at 4 `eftfo Ording to the Va'riationf infl positionl Aplurality "tively to the. non: id jfustablev rolls;-

frangedftobe .supp orted yfzmaterial one end, and fofce l tina-rollsapart latthe opposite end, the angular movementofitll rolls being equal.

s, a 1n. den@ fithe-11aracer-describea a plurality "of 'rol ls,

and'. means frfsimnlta .alternate .rolls relalyle v directions .atjopposite" ineolisly adjust iiely inf hpp l .i r'lf'lii a'ldei/ic'e Soifthe eliaracter described,

of ,acliutbl roliste plurality,

,f bH-fl'distbl Yrolls arranged' alternately.' .with the 'adilistab l.rolls "wird` mahs im?? siniiiltaneciisly inoningbpposite ends of .,th e"adjustableollsftldiferentpositions rela- 80 6. In `adeifice ofthecliaracter described,. a Jlnralityl of j .rol ls adjliistable 'towardand away from onefznother` si'rniifltanebusly yatv opposite.ends=,' aplurality of non-adjustable rollsf' arrangeds al1 ernatelyiwith theadjlustl- '86 abley ,rolls, an idle frioll a'v 2 floating Iroll."` .ar-

passing ls, and

.means Y for 'holdi-ng said. rol-l 'against ltion `bymaterial [silpporting same;

f y 9o 7. :In a'deviceof the character describe-d,

`4 slotted g'luide's, .beac rings slidable .between said' giiides,trunnions Von said bearings operat 'ingthe'guide slo's,= rolls mounted in.said

bearings, a threaded shaft, nutsirrevolubl'y `95 Vmounted on saidsih'aft, andI links pivotally' connecting? said' nt ts and ,bearingtrnnions.

- 84A, niethodiogf straightening dtheflweft ythreads 'of' cloth, :Iwhich consists in locall' ,advancing portion s." o f oneed'ge Yandsimuf' [100 l taneonslyfretarding corresponding portions fof the opposite "elge,.'al ternately with' ad# `-va'cing thev same j )ottionatuniformspeed :9.A method .oistnai'ghtening the-'weft l threads; of Cloth,whichfconsi'sts. in .i `locally 10 5 advancing thecloth on one side. ofal longi.

faardingthe 1clot-1 L da the ippposi, side o f.

said'.l ine, 'said ladvancernentyand retardnient increasing graduallyWfrom said neutral line' `110 to 'th'efedges of the cloth.

- '10.- Ainethod oi? .straigh.ten-ingtheWeiftiv threads` of cloth',1yhioh consists lin. locally f advancing the 'Cloti on onesideofigiilongi-` tlidinal neutral lineand simultaneouslyv re-,` rlll-5tardingthe `clothfon the' opposite sidebff. said line, said 'advancementand retardment increasing gradualy from, said"nei1tral linel to the'edges vofgth ej cloth,- and` alternating' with siich adva'ncel nentVperiods L of `advance- 1 20 nient at u niforni'rae 4across the entire`Width of theel-oth.: I1.Aniethod ofV straightening-'diagonallydisplacedfwet' thrf adsjof cloth, which consists infadvancing the cloth.atuniforln rate7125y -across`; itsntire*widthl alternatelywith a l`differential rate of vadvancement `across its- 4 ififidth,-s' aid1differen tial rate of? advancement l being, greater-than thenniformrate` at one 1.

edge vand less 'than` theu'niform rate 'at ithe- 130:5?V

opposite edge, and` of the 'uniform rate at f a line intermediate theedges.

12. A method 'of straightening the weft' threads of cloth, whichconsists in advancin'g a portion of the' cloth intermediate the edges ata uniform rate of speed, and increasing or diminishing the rate ofadvance `from said intermediate portion toward the edges and alternatingthe increase and reduction, of advance rate from edge to edlge of thecloth, according as the ends of t e weft threads are more'advanced atone edge o r other of the cloth.

13. A method of straightening the 'weft threads of cloth, which consistsin advancing a portion of the cloth intermediate the -v edges at auniform rate of speed, and -increasing or diminishing the rate ofadvance from said. intermediate portion toward the edges, 4andalternating the increase and reduction' of advance rate from edge toedge of the cloth, according as the ends ofV t e weftthreads are moreadvanced ,at one edge i or other of the cloth,v and alternating withsuch variable advancement of the cloth said intermediate ortion..

14. In'a device o the character described;

several rolls,A and means for adjusting alternate rolls into a conicalarrangement havin y.the axis thereof parallel with the axis o theremaining rolls.4

In'witnessv whereof, .wehave hereunto set our hands, in the presence oftwo witnesses.

JOHN LOWE. v JOHN J. LYTH. Witnesses:

`S. R. W. ALLEN, G. M. MonEnAND.

25 across its entire width atthe same rate as

